All Hallows' Eve 2014
All Hallows' Eve 'Map:' 'Characters:' *Sullivan *Muzu *Steve 'Story uppon token collecting:' Searching out the source of the unnatural siphoning of magic, you are inevitably drawn to a dark and forbidden land you know to be the Ashmoors. All around, clouds of dust and ash whip about in the distance in a chaotic mass. The air stings your eyes, but you persevere, unable to turn back due to some unknown force which seemingly drags you onward against your will. There, in the distance stands a single monument that pierces the landscape and stains this world of grey with a stark black. You have heard tell of these forbidden doors, and now the cold stone, with its chains of malice and steel, pull you in. You hear a voice call out to you from beyond the gate. As you move closer, the figure of a weary man materializes before you. "Thank the Ancients, someone has arrived...I've been waiting so long for someone to come to these lands, yet none have answered my call...until now Who are you? What is this place? "My name's Sullivan, and you've come very far to not know the place you stand in traveler, but I suppose I should not be picky with the situation at hand. You are in the forbidden lands, the Ashmoors. I am the guardian of the Obsidian Gates...I presume you've heard the tales of this place? However, time is of the essence, and we have precious moments left which must be used wisely. Please, I need your aid." "There is a great darkness that is sealed within these gates, but recently the magic I use to keep it contained has been waning, and so too have the chains which hold the darkness at bay. You've felt it, haven't you? The magic draining all around us...these gates will soon burst open if we don't stop it, but I am currently spent from my struggle and have little strength to do so myself. This is where you'll come in, yes? Please, traveler, will you help me keep the chains on this gate closed? If not, then we are all surely doomed to Oblivion1..." I suppose I don't have much of a choice with stakes like that. "So you'll help me? Really? Thank you...you don't know how much I am in your debt traveler. Already I am beginning to fade from this world, but with your help, you and I can fix this great wrong. Do you see the stump over there? I have no idea why such a thing has traveled across the sea and through barren lands, but I feel that it shares a connection with you. To gain the friendship of a stump is quite the feat. Gather the stones with rune marks carved into their surface. Such stones were once used in an age long past. A small but very potent bit of magic still remains within their core. If we can accumulate enough of them, perhaps I can gather my strength once more to seal this gate for eternity. Of course, I'll offer you what little I can in return. Though this place is quite empty, there are creatures that I can summon from the ash, who come from ancient times..." "Ah, there you are! Look, my friend, we finally did it! All the seals have returned to the doors and so too has my magic. I can barely believe it myself, without your aid none of this would have been made possible..." "I mean reallly, NONE of this could have happened without your oh so cooperative, blindly devoted help. This is why humans are my favorite creatures. So perfectly destructive...so--ah what's the word again? Predictable..." You watch with wide eyes as Sullivan's once soft and gentle smile cracks into a wicked grin. The man's eyes, so innocent at first, now only hold an unending darkness as they change into crimson red pools of unbridled glee. The ground beneath your feet begins to shudder with anticipation and the sound of chains rattling against cold steel echo sharply as the Obsidian Gates begin to heave. Over and over, the doors bang against their chains as Sullivan simply laughs hystarically(hysterically) over your now toppled form that braces against the shaking, craked(cracked) earth. All you can do is watch with utter horror as the Obsidian Gates, the doors which were to remain sealed for an enterinty(eternity), now burst open--a great beastial roar escaping from its hellish depths while darkness bleeds out all around you. "Hahaa--oh, finally! Seraphina2 thought she could imprision(imprison) me here till the end of time? I AM OBLIVION, THE ANCIENT OF DARKNESS AND HARBRINGER OF THE END, AND NO MANNER OF MAGIC NOR CHAINS CAN HOLD ME! My twin sister was a fool to think I would just sit here and rot in this prison. Oh but you, when I saw you, I knew you'd be the one to open these forbidden doors..." "Did that Ancient of Fate3--that fortune teller who likes to hide behind human skin--tell you your fate, traveler? It matters not, all that matters now is that I am finally free, and Eldemore shall once again taste the ashes of death as its magic and life are torn away from these wretched lands." "Hmm, but you seem confused, just gawking there like that...perhaps a demonstration of the power you helped unleash shall wipe that disgusting look off your face..." "Let's use your little stump friend4 there for target practice. It's not really a stump, but what would you know of this creature? Honestly, I thought I had destroyed these things during my first regin(reign), but apparently I missed one. Now it loyally latches on to you...how nice, but ultimately a pathetic attempt..." Sullivan turns with a devilish grin before lifting his hand towards the only friend who's followed you for so long. Dark tendrils fly from his fingertips as black magic licks the air like a dark flame, hissing swiftly towards their intended target. The crow, dubbed Muzu, tries to attack the man's face in a vain attempt to stop his assualt(assault), but fails as the black fire darts past the bird and eats hungrily away at the peice(piece) of wood, turning its bark into a pile of charred ash within seconds. All you can do is watch in petrified silence as Sullivan gives you a sickingly sweet smile, his demonstration complete. He enjoys the look on your face for a moment before disapearing(disappearing) into the open doorway of the Obsidian Gates. A new terror now grips your soul as the once skinny form of the man evaporates into a massive serpintine(serpentine)body. The deep red void within the gates can barely contain the creature's girth as it writhes to slowly free itself from its imprisionment(imprisonment). With one final earth-shattering roar, the Ancient bursts forth in a massive dark blur. All you can see is darkness as you duck and cover, the behemoth flying past with eight wings and four red eyes, its long body blotting out the sky for but a moment before it disapears(disappears) into the ash-filled skies… The Ancient of Oblivion is finally free... You see a figure approach slowly in the distance. You wonder if they are friend or foe, as you watch Muzu fly back and forth between the two of you happily. It seems you will know soon enough... 1: Oblivion The Ancient of Darkness Sullivan 2: Seraphina See Ancient of Fate; Oblivion's twin sister 3: Ancient of Fate The fortune-teller in the caravan at the Mystic Glade during that event 4: Stump Friend Steve the Stump, whom we first met at the Secret Clearing during the very first event. (Thanks to Skye~!)